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Government shutdown explained

Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress are waging a budget battle that resulted in a government shutdown on Oct. 1 until lawmakers reach a compromise on a federal spending measure.
The last shutdowns occurred during the budget battle between the Republican-controlled Congress and President Bill Clinton in late 1995. Much of the federal government was closed for five days in November 1995 and then from mid-December 1995 to early January 1996.
Many U.S. agencies made preparations ahead of a threatened shutdown in 2011, and on Tuesday the Office of Management and Budget said agencies should update their contingency plans.
Here is what the public might expect during the federal government shutdown: